


A Charming Incident

by bpacc437



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Charms (Hollow Knight), Corruption, Digestion, Mind Break, Other, Soft Vore, Vore, Weight Gain, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:07:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29775927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bpacc437/pseuds/bpacc437
Summary: Quirrel puts on a new charm. Things don't go well.
Relationships: The Knight/Quirrel (Hollow Knight)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 10





	A Charming Incident

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Snack for the Road](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29747196) by [EaArachnee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EaArachnee/pseuds/EaArachnee). 



> This fic was inspired by EaArachnee's "Snack for the Road." Please check out their work if you enjoy content like this!

Quirrel rubbed his belly as it growled impatiently. It felt like he hadn’t had a meal in years. Patting his stomach, he said to himself, “Now, now. Just a little longer and we’ll have something to eat...“ 

Being an adventurer, he was plenty used to being hungry. In the abandoned caverns and forbidden ruins he spent most of his time in, food was a rarity. In most cases, anything edible had been devoured by some beast long before he’d gotten there. He was more than familiar with eating scraps and scavenging to survive. Normally, going a while without food would be no problem for the pillbug. 

But things were different in Hallownest. No. Not at all. This place seemed deliberately designed to play on his hunger, accentuate it, for the sole purpose of tormenting him. One would think, for instance, that an area such as Greenpath should be filled with near-limitless food for one such as Quirrel. A deep grove filled with endless greenery? There must be something edible in there, right? 

As Quirrel had discovered, however, there wasn’t. Most of the stuff in the Greenpath was poisonous if consumed. He’d almost died on his first day in the Kingdom when he’d eaten an innocent-enough looking shrub, only for it to immediately make him sick unto death. He was lucky Ghost had been nearby, as they were able to transport him back to the kindly mapmaker in Dirtmouth, who knew how to deal with such a poisoning. 

Since then, he’d carefully examined everything before he even thought about eating it. And most of the time, what he’d been aiming to eat had been poisonous. 

The result of this was that he was constantly surrounded by things that seemed edible, but would actually kill him if he consumed them. It was a cruel prank played on him by this sadistic kingdom, and he’d had his fill of it. And there wasn’t exactly anywhere else he could reliably get food. Every other area of Hallownest he’d discovered was either desolate or devoid of anything edible whatsoever. 

As he stumbled blindly through the Greenpath, hunger sickness overtook him. Gods, he needed to eat something, and soon. As a last resort, he could go back up to Dirtmouth, so his life wasn’t in immediate danger. But how would he be able to get anywhere in this place if he constantly had to return to that little hamlet? How could he get back there from here anyway, where was the path-

Quirrel let out a yipe of pain as he stepped on something jagged. Collective himself, he looked down to see what he had stepped on. To his shock, he saw an abandoned tiny rock shrine clutching a charm. He leaned down, trying to get a better look at this new oddity. The charm was smooth in shape, like a pebble, but it refracted the light in such a way that the inside of the stone looked as if it was always churning and swirling. “What’s this?” Quirrel asked himself as he plucked it from the altar. 

“A charm?” He was talking to himself again. He did it often, when no one was around. “I wonder what it does.” Holding it up to the light, he saw the stones insides swirl, and was mesmerized by it. His spirit soared. Small mysteries like this was what he loved the most about adventuring. “Well, I suppose there is only one way to find out,” he said, attaching the charm to his chest. 

At once, Quirrel felt something stir within him. His hunger suddenly seemed to double in size, and his desire to devour became unbearable. He shouted in shock, “Gah! What- what is this?” Quickly, he brought a hand up to the charm, and attempted to remove it from his chest. He thought it would come neatly off, but it didn’t.

It seemed to stick to him, as if held there by some force. He realized with some dread that this charm was irremovable. Sardonically, Quirrel said, “So the charm makes the bearer hungrier? That’s… a bit odd.” But what was with this other feeling, the desire to devour? And he felt something inside of him change, as if he was able to do something now that he hadn’t been able to do before. He was still pondering these strange occurrences when the Tiktik crawled out from under the greenery. 

At once, Quirrel fell on it. Before he even knew what he was doing, he had stuffed it down his throat in one gulp. He let out a moan of relief as he felt it drop down. Finally! Food! But then he realized what he’d done. He’d just devoured another bug, whole, alive! 

Quirrel wanted to do something to save the bug, but the desire to eat something, anything, won out. He sat down, and felt as the small thing melted in his belly. His gut worked fast with this charm, soon enough the Tiktik was all gone, turned into a thin layer of chub on Quirrel’s belly. The entire thing passed in a blaze for Quirrel. He’d just been running off animal instinct, not really thinking of what he was doing. It was like he’d been out of his head. 

Coming to, the first thing he felt was guilt. Poor thing, he could’ve just treated them to a quick end. The next thing he felt, shockingly, was relief. He had been so hungry, and his snack had finally managed to pound the rumbling in his gut back. He felt full, for the first time in days. Still, he resolved that he would never allow this to happen again. He would not allow himself to become some beast, devouring bugs whole.

Continuing along, he supposed that this must be the power of the charm. It increased hunger, but allowed you to eat more. What a strange charm, he wondered what kind of dying bug had wished for it.

Suddenly, Quirrel saw an opening in the distance, a way out of the undergrowth. He stormed towards it, reinvigorated with strength from his recent meal. The pangs of hunger were slowly emerging once again - a single Tiktik was hardly enough for one as large as Quirrel - but they were subdued enough that he paid them no mind. He burst into the opening, happy to be free of that choking atmosphere.

His happiness immediately imploded when he saw who was standing in the clearing. It was Ghost. 

“No…” Quirrel whispered. It wasn’t seeing Ghost inherently that put him off. He greatly enjoyed his encounters with his small friend. It was seeing Ghost now, of all times, that scared Quirrel. The second he laid eyes on them, the hunger rushed in on all sides. They were so small, so tempting. He could pick them up and plop them in his mouth with no trouble, no trouble at all…

Ghost had jumped when Quirrel had crashed through the undergrowth. But upon seeing that it was their friend, they leapt towards him joyously. It’d been too long since they’d seen his friendly face and heard his friendly words. 

There was so little kindness in this kingdom that seeing Quirrel always brought their spirits up. What would he talk to them of? The history of Hallownest? The ecology of the Greenpath? They didn’t care. They just wanted to be by his side and listen to a friendly face chat. 

Quirrel stopped their advance with an outstretched hand. “No, ah, my friend! You musn’t! I am a danger to you right now, you must flee!” 

The Knight cocked their head. A danger? Was something wrong? Could they help? Quirrel’s plea only made them more interested in what was going on, more desperate to get closer to him and see what was wrong. They pushed his hand aside, and continued their advance. 

The pillbug wrapped his hands around his body, clutching them desperately against himself. No. He musn’t. Ghost is his friend and trusted ally. If there is one bug in Hallownest that they cannot use this power on, it is them. Quirrel suddenly felt his legs go weak under him, and he collapsed to the ground. He sat up, arms on either side of him. 

They were now certain that something was wrong with Quirrel. Why would restrain himself like that? Weren’t they friends? They decided to show him a sign of affection, to tell that there was nothing to be worried about from them. 

Before Quirrel could brace himself, Ghost leapt forwards and hugged his midsection. Their body was planted firmly against his big belly, and their small arms pushed into his chub. Ghost didn't know if they were just imagining things, but it sure seemed like Quirrel was a bit bigger than the last time they had met. As they hugged him, Quirrel went still. Ghost took this as a sign that their ploy worked. Maybe now he'd let them know what was bothering him? 

Quirrel felt himself begin to slip away. The hunger was roaring in on all sides, and he needed to satisfy it. He tried to control himself, tried to fight the urges off. But suddenly restraint gave way, and he moved to take Ghost in his hands. 

The Knight didn't know what was happening. What was Quirrel doing? He was acting awfully out of sorts today. He held them in a light grip. Not unpleasant, not harsh. Just firm enough to hold them still. Was he going to hug them back, they thought? Instead, Quirrel slowly brought them up to his face. They cocked their head once more. What was he going to do? 

In one gentle, swift motion, Quirrel plopped Ghost into his mouth. Their strange taste immediately filled his tongue, it was almost like drinking metallic water. But he wasn't interested in tasting, he was interested in devouring. So, he quickly swallowed the Knight, dropping them into his belly. 

Ghost didn't even know how to react. They were in a state of total and complete shock. But as soon as they dropped into Quirrel's belly, they started struggling desperately. What was going on? What was Quirrel doing? Was this what he'd meant when he said he was a danger to them? They kicked and pushed at the sides of his gut, not knowing what else to do. 

Quirrel moaned loudly as he felt Ghost struggle. He felt so full. They were so much larger than anything else he'd ever eaten. Rubbing his belly, he saw that it was multiple times larger than it usually was as his prey struggled for dear life. But the thoughts of his prey never crossed Quirrel's mind. He was given totally over to the devouring hunger filling every cell of his being. And it felt wonderful. 

Soon, his gut went to work on Ghost. Quirrel felt his gut as it started to soften up, and the strugglings inside of it started to grow weaker. Slowly, the pillbug started coming back to himself. Being full, even if his food hadn’t been digested yet, seemed to give him control back over himself. Groaning, he half-lucidly asked, “Oh, what did I do?” He only had to look down to find the answer.  
He was shocked at what he had done, but found that he didn’t regret it. The hunger had been so overpowering, and now it was finally fading. They were his friend, but he felt as if he had been on the brink of death. Surely they’d be happy if they knew what their sacrifice meant for him? “I-I’m sorry my short friend,” Quirrel said, “But you were just so tempting, and I was so hungry…” 

For some reason, Ghost didn’t find this reassuring. Quirrel had eaten them because he was hungry? What had they meant to him, that he’d devour them so? They pushed harder against their predator's gut, strength weakening with every second. 

“You must understand, friend, I would’ve surely perished if not for you,” he began. “And now you’ll be a part of me for the rest of my journey. Is that not wonderful?” Quirrel was half saying this because his hunger-wrecked mind actually believed it, and half because he didn’t want to admit to himself that he’d eaten his best friend just because he was hungry. 

The Knight struggled onward, feeling Quirrel’s walls push in harder around them. They didn’t have much strength left for struggle. But the part of them that had accepted the inevitable listened to Quirrel’s words, and tried to take them to heart. 

Through their sacrifice, Quirrel would live on. And they’d get to be a part of him. They thought of his large squishy belly, and blushed as they thought of becoming part of it. They were going to become part of something they loved, wasn’t that a good enough end? Ghost told themselves that, but the words were hollow.

Regardless, they were too tired by now to continue struggling. They finally lay still in Quirrel’s gut. Quirrel, feeling this, rubbed his increasingly soft belly happily. “See? It will be alright, my short friend.” 

From here, it wasn’t too long until Quirrel’s belly started properly dealing with Ghost. Quirrel felt his gut soften up as Ghost started to be worked away, and he started to feel his thighs grow strangely heavier. But he was exhausted from his long journey and large meals. So sleep crept in on Quirrel. He lay down on the soft grass below him, and his eyes quickly closed onto sleep. 

When he opened them again, it felt as if it had been days. The first thing he felt was his belly. It was easily twice, if not three times larger than it had been before. Even just rolling over was enough to send it wobbling every which way. Quirrel was able to push a hand deep into it with no real resistance. He grinned, loving his new weight, loving the fact that he’d always carry Ghost around with him like this now. 

“I see that you’ve stopped your complaining, friend.” Quirrel said, grabbing the fat on his belly. “You look wonderful like this, and you’ll sway wonderfully no matter where I go.”  
Sitting up, Quirrel had to re-adjust to the weight all around his body. Looking down, he saw how Ghost had thickened up his lower half. He had a new pair of hips twice as broad as they were before, and his thighs were thick enough now that they would slightly chafe against one another if he walked. “Ah, Knight,” he said, “Did you really have to thicken me up so much down there? I’m not used to fighting on such a figure…” 

He held his nail to one of his legs as comparison, and it was easily wider than his nail was at the guard. The rest of his legs fared little better. It’d be a struggle getting through and cramped spaces like this. “Well, I will make do,” Quirrel said. 

As he stood up, wobbling on his heavy legs, Quirrel realized that he was growing hungry again. He’d slept for so long, and the charm’s power was so overwhelming, that he already felt as if he had eaten nothing at all. What was he going to do now, he thought? He stumbled towards the exit of the clearing, when a red blur dropped from above, and landed in front of him. Immediately, he registered it as Hornet, the Protector of this Kingdom who had accosted him when he’d first arrived here. 

“Foolish adventurer,” she began, “I warned you to not continue deeper into this Kingdom, yet, you’ve disregarded my warnings and- and- and…” Hornet stammered as her eyes took in Quirrel’s form. She managed to ask through her shock, “What in Wyrm’s name happened to you?” 

Quirrel wasn’t listening, however. The hunger was locked in, and it had found its next target. The blaze of hunger overtook him entirely, and he lost himself.

When he came to again, it was sometime later. He was sitting upright against a wall this time. Hornet’s needle and cloak lay in a heap to the side of him. He felt what had happened to him before he even opened his eyes. 

When he opened them, he saw that he now truly had a figure to behold. Quirrel’s belly was large enough now that it’d be difficult for him to walk or run at all. He’d likely have to carry it around when he grew tired, and there was no way he’d be getting through cramped spaces anymore. It was slightly smaller than what pre-charm Quirrel would’ve looked like if he crawled up into a ball. “Oh Gods,” Quirrel murmured to himself. “What have I gone and done now?” 

“Well,” he said, “At least you got to become part of a great warrior, Protector.” Quirrel tried to stand up, and immediately fell down again. Sitting up, he took a look down at the rest of himself. His thighs were thrice as large as they were after he had eaten Ghost. Sighing, Quirrel realized, and soon felt, that this meant his thighs would chafe heavily against one another as he walked. His thighs were now almost as wide as his regular body had been before he put on the charm. He had no idea how he’d be able to perform his acrobatics like this. “Hmmph,” he groaned, annoyed. “You two just had to go and mess up my form, didn’t you?” 

He finally managed to stand up, wobbling as he did so. Quirrel pivoted towards the exit of the cavern, his belly swaying as he turned. Quirrel grabbed his gut, saying with a sigh, “Ah, must you sway so much, friends? Your wobbling will throw me off balance! And it’s so hard to walk with these legs-” 

As he stumbled towards the exit, however, the hunger arose once more. The charm still sat innocent and plain on his chest. Quirrel licked his lips. He didn’t want to be hungry again, he’d have to find somewhere nearby to fill up. But where else could he go? 

That’s when the Stag Station came into view, and things suddenly clicked into place. Earlier, he’d considered going back to Dirtmouth to get something to eat. Now, that plan was going to become a reality. 

He hoped that the bugs up there were as delicious as the ones down here.


End file.
